It’s hard to say whether I’m generally broke because I’m bad with money, or if I’m bad with money because I’m generally too broke to practice using it wisely, but one thing’s for sure: If I’ve got extra money in my pocket, I’m about to spend it.
Case in point, when I made the very wise decision last year to cash out my meager IRA and use the funds to move to California where my living expenses would double, I thought I’d tapped out the whole reserve. But, when a last little check for 170 bucks showed up in my mailbox for some reason last week, I immediately turned to Google in search of a fancy restaurant not yet reviewed by this fine publication. Since inheriting this column, I’ve only covered the blue collar food I could normally afford, but now I had unexpected mystery cash just dying to get away from me.
I donned my finest knock-off polo shirt from Target and took my family to wine country to try Morrell’s Farm Fresh Dining, a farm-to-table eatery with an extra dollar sign next to its Yelp reviews. Honestly, it’s not even that expensive a place, but we’re street food and home-cooking type of folk. This was the first time anyone had offered me free bread instead of chips and salsa in a good minute. And this was piping hot, fresh baked fluffy stuff with whipped butter we didn’t even have to unwrap. So …
For our entrees, my wife ordered the duck special like a regular duchess, and I got the flat iron steak with artichoke hearts and mushrooms. Our daughter got the crispy buttermilk chicken and mashed potatoes because we all wanted to try that caramelized onion gravy the menu promised.
The atmosphere at Morrell’s is pretty modest actually, with a bright, almost industrial feel, so none of us felt out of place while we waited like we might at a truly high-end establishment. The service was prompt and friendly. It was nice.
When the food came, we dove into those decadent treasures with all the grace and dignity of a pack of hyenas, pausing only to pass forks dripping with gravy across the table, because “you’ve got to try this.”
Everything was excellent. The roasted duck was rich and juicy with herbs and seasoning that gave an often gamey poultry a vibrant flavor. It was probably the star of the show, but my seared steak was no slouch. It was cooked perfectly and served atop a medley of fresh vegetables with a sprinkling of feta cheese that elevated beef in a way I never thought possible. The pungent feta added another dimension to make this flat iron steak anything but flat. My daughter’s crispy chicken was good but honestly not really remarkable except for that phenomenal gravy.
Manager Pablo Sevilla later told me they get most of their produce from the owner’s parents’ farm in Solvang and all of their meat from local, reputable sources. Chef Gabriel Guzman tweaks the menu seasonally and creates daily specials to take advantage of what’s ripe and in season, Sevilla said, and everyone working at the restaurant has a reverence for fresh food and love for customer service.
“The whole crew here really tries to be like a family,” Sevilla said. “And we treat everyone that comes in like part of the family, too.”
My family left fat and happy, and even though our meal for three crossed a bit beyond our usual $100 threshold, Morrell’s was far from overpriced. By Santa Ynez Valley standards, they’re downright affordable even. The quality was well worth it.
Slather contributing writer Nick Powell with gravy and send fun food facts to npowell@santamariasun.com.
Powell’s Picks
• First Friday in Old Town Orcutt encourages neighbors and visitors to gather together in the Santa Maria Valley’s quaintest district to support local businesses and take advantage of food, drink, and shopping specials on July 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. The event occurs on the first Friday of every month and makes for some good ol’ fashioned strolling.
• Nothing’s safe from the deep-fryer at the 2019 Santa Barbara County Fair (pictured above) from July 10 to 14 at the Santa Maria Fairpark. This carnival of delights and celebration of all things agriculture-related features livestock auctions and the best bad-for-you food-stuffs Americana has to offer. Don’t miss it!
• Learn some skills with the immensely talented and extremely entertaining Chef Trent’s Summer Cooking Class at The Bear and Star in Los Olivos. Over the course of three hours, you’ll enjoy wine and beer pairings while learning to take your deviled egg, cornbread, tri-tip (pictured below), and pie game to the next level. The class costs $120 per person and takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on July 11. Reserve a spot at thebearandstar.com.
• It’s just about my favorite time of the year: pit fruit season! The apricots and plums are getting good already, and you just know nectarines and peaches are right around the corner. We’re smack dab in the middle of the best place to really revel in them pits, so get on over to a farmers’ market while the getting’s good. Lompoc has one downtown every Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. and Santa Maria has two: Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. and Friday from 5 to 8 p.m., both located at Town Center West on Broadway and Main.
Contributing writer Nick Powell would love to live in a giant peach like that one kid. Send magic beans or whatever to npowell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 4-11, 2019.